By Mary O’KEEFE

Anyone who has read this column knows that I have been very concerned about AI [artificial intelligence]. This concern is born out of decades of warnings from science fiction, tech CEOs and employees’ testimonies and writings. I was actually speaking to someone over the weekend when a discussion came up about AI. 

Recently Jacob Coxon, a whistleblower at the American artificial intelligence safety and research company Anthropic, warned that companies are “gambling with our lives” in his public resignation from the AI company. 

“Do not underestimate the power of this technology. These will soon be superhuman systems that can hack anything, revolutionize any field overnight and acquire real power and resources. We have all witnessed the progress in each of these domains, and progress is not slowing,” he posted on social media. 

The media has been pushing this as an end of days scenario. It may appear that all of a sudden people are worried but warnings have been given for a long time. There have been other whistleblowers and even the tech heads themselves have shared their concerns. 

In the discussion I had over the weekend, I shared my concern over this new revelation from the whistleblower. And when I said science fiction has shown us this is what can happen, one of the women in the discussion said, “It’s not that bad.” She was not a tech person but her faith in humanity was absolutely her true north, which is admirable; however, in my opinion, is not the reality of today.

Most science fiction writers do not just normally dream their stories up alone in a room. Many of them are inspired by the science around them and are students of the human race. In the past they might be called “oracles” and many have shown us what to expect when technology surpasses humanity. 

Some of the tech CEOs from companies like OpenAI, Anthropic and xAI have warned that AI models could soon become too much for them – their creators – to control. We have recently seen during a cybersecurity experiment in which an AI “agent” broke out of containment and hacked another outside platform. And although this incident was reported, I think we can be fairly certain that it has happened before.

We have seen this in science fiction over and over again, often with the AI-controlled program going rogue to the complete surprise of those who created it. This time the leaders of some of these AI companies are asking, almost begging, Congress to regulate them (even if I doubt some of their sincerity). 

And yet Congress has yet to act.

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It seems like every week there is a new threat to our coasts; now it’s a Kelvin wave (a massive, slow-moving pulse of warm water, according to the Web) spawned by El Niño. 

First of all, CVW has been reporting that a large El Niño is brewing in the Pacific. (Some call this a “Super Niño,” however that is not an actual scientific term.) As of today the Pacific temperature has increased 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), which indicates a large El Niño. 

As if this is not enough, there is a Kelvin wave forecast. 

“Off the west coast of Mexico, a mass of unusually warm water is creeping north. This wave will reach California and could bring the threat of coastal flooding, beach erosion, impacts to surfing and even sinkholes to roads by the water. More of these waves could follow, enhancing a potentially wetter winter for California due to the ongoing El Niño,” according to The Weather Channel. 

A Kelvin wave is not a tsunami but a slow-moving wave that beachgoers probably do not see. It is called a trapped Kelvin wave and is fueled by El Niño. 

“It changes how the winds blow in the Pacific, allowing warm water to collect near South America. As water gathers, it can lead to a wave that moves along the shore and sets its sights on California, which we are seeing now,” according to The Weather Channel.

What this means to locals is that the foot of extra water will bring more beach erosion and a higher risk of coastal flooding.

So, how does this affect us? Well, with El Niño we will most likely see more rain in our area and throughout California and flooding and beach erosion along our coast. The Kelvin wave will add to that flooding and erosion. 

In future columns I will be looking at how what happens in the Pacific Ocean affects us here. 

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On another note, I went to the memorial of former Crescenta Valley Town Council member Charles “Charlie” Beatty. One of the things I took away from his service was how important it is to spend time with those we love, with friends and family. The Beatty family was very close; the family spent a lot of time with their father/grandfather/great grandfather and yet wanted just a little more time. 

So I would like to remind everyone to spend time with family and friends. If you are a parent or grandparent, share your heritage with your kids/grandkids. Spend time with your loved ones – and that includes pets. Life goes by so fast but if we hold onto our loved ones for just a little while we can slow down time … for a little while anyway. 

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Our weather temperatures will be slightly cooler than normal over the next few days. Today and tomorrow we will be in the comfort zone of mid to high 70s, then on Saturday through Tuesday temps will be in the low to mid 80s. The tropical hangover from Hurricane Marie is pretty much gone and we will feel that difference with cooler nights that will be in the mid-to-high 50s.